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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Walt Disney World Parks: What You Need to Know

After
two years of Disney posts and dozens of emails from readers, I've
published my book, Disney Tips n' Tricks on Amazon. Through my blog and my email I've
realized parents and Disney planning families are looking for parent to
parent advice, not Hidden Mickeys. My book was a labor of Disney love,
and every chapter details all of my tips, tricks and best advice for
families embarking on their next Walt Disney World vacation.

To all of my Disney reading fans, I thank you. You've given this blog more purpose than I ever imagined. I'm sorry these posts have all been shortened, I had to save some of the good stuff for my book.

As
a mommy-blogging mama of four, I greatly appreciate any sales and I
still welcome emails with questions should you need personal Disney
planning advice!Jodie@allgoodinmommyhood.com

This post is now an excerpt from my book, Walt Disney World Tips n' Tricks. Enjoy!

Disney is overwhelming. There is an overabundance of fun waiting at every turn. Planning a "first ever" trip to Disney is no small task. When you add in the cost, the planning, the logistics of getting around and the ages of everyone on the trip Disney planners usually want to throw in the towel and cry.

Let me begin with this: Every family is different. Every family has their own idea of what a great vacation is about. I am a big believer in getting up and getting to the parks early. I say it over and over again. I don't like lines, I prefer small crowds, and I want to be by the pool after lunch.

Some families may like to sleep in, and they don't mind taking their time in the parks. If there is a wait for a ride, so be it. They roll with it.

Where to Eat: The Crystal Palace, The Plaza Restaurant, Be Our Guest Restaurant

If you are vacationing to Disney World, you MUST visit the Magic Kingdom. As you walk through the gates, Cinderella's Castle is up ahead, and it's impossible not to feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. This year, they are beginning to open a new section of the park with new attractions and restaurants.

There are characters scattered throughout the park, parades, shows and attractions for everyone. For young kids there is enough to spend the entire day. I recommend visiting this park twice if you have little ones with you on your Disney vacation.

Best Tip: Arrive 15 minutes prior to park opening and ride several rides with a minimal wait.

Where to Eat: The question in Epcot is where NOT to eat. The World Showcase is without question the best place to walk and enjoy a cold beer and some excellent food. In all 11 countries.

Despite the park being geared for older guests, there is much for little kids as well. Nemo, Journey into Imagination and the many discovery areas around the park make this park a great place to spend the day. The World Showcase is peppered with characters and great entertainment in every country. Every adult should treat themselves to a visit to Epcot Center, the kids will have plenty to enjoy.

18 comments:

My advice for first-timers: Set your expectations for what you want to accomplish very low so as not to be disappointed. Unless you're there for 3 months - you will NOT see it all. And then prioritize what's left on your list. I also recommend the Unofficial Guide for WDW - we read it cover-to-cover before each trip (it's pretty entertaining).

My question: You recommended a backpack once we're out of diaper bag/stroller territory (we're probably a year out from our next trip). Do you have a fave?

And, true story: We signed our boys up for the Kim Possible interactive at Epcot on one of our trips. Youngest Boy thought it was real - TOO real. He freaked out thinking he truly had to save the "world" from bad guys. We had to turn in our communicators before we even left the pick-up spot! I have high hopes now that it's a Phineas and Ferb theme.

I just saw that Kim Possible is now a Phineas and Ferb theme! I love your advice - because it's so true with the low expectations. That's partly where this post idea came from...try for the basics, add on what you can! Hmmm...I just saw a new backpack cooler in Target - it was awesome! Light and just big enough with a few pockets for wallets, etc. I'll get you the name and message ya!

I would love info on an awesome backpack cooler as well! We are planning our first Disney trip with a four-year old. My concern is convenience. Will it be difficult to keep up with a backpack when getting on and off so many rides?

Backpack coolers are great - and believe it or not everyone leaves them in their strollers...which they park outside the rides. There is a castmember to guide everyone, and we always park and bring our valuables in (money, tickets, camera). I wear a small side hip purse with valuables and money and never take it off in the parks! I do forget the name of the backpack cooler (mommybrains) but it was in the camping section at Target. :)

I have been every year since I was 5 (I'm 17 now) and each time we find something new! I am going again in March and saw this I was thinking DANG that's true because if in the 12 years I see new things, I doubt anyone can see it all in a week!But then again it makes it worth going every year!

Love your tips. Note we just went to Disney 2 wks ago. At Epcot it has changed to Phineas & Ferb but I was really disappointed as it ended up being the exact mission we had done with Kim Possible but with the different characters.My favorite thing this time was buying pins on eBay before our trip. I bought 16 pins for $.75 each. My 5 yr old had a blast trading so many pins and I was good with it as we hadn't spent $8-$10 per pin.

Love your tips. Note we just went to Disney 2 wks ago. At Epcot it has changed to Phineas & Ferb but I was really disappointed as it ended up being the exact mission we had done with Kim Possible but with the different characters.My favorite thing this time was buying pins on eBay before our trip. I bought 16 pins for $.75 each. My 5 yr old had a blast trading so many pins and I was good with it as we hadn't spent $8-$10 per pin.

I love your advice and wholeheartedly agree with you on all points. We have taken my 2 year old to WDW twice. Now that we have another baby we will try Disneyland this year. Living in NV the 3 hr time difference and 8 hr flight might be a bit much for two little ones.

Found your info on pinterest :) We are taking our 3 year old for the first time next month. So we can bring food/drinks/backpacks and all into Magic Kingdom? We are making a whole day of our trip b/c we are only there for one day. What are your top ride pics for a 3 year old at Magic Kingdom? We are also wanting to get tickets to the Christmas Program they offer from 7pm-12 with the light up parade. Have you ever been? I think I read somewhere on a site that the rides are open late on these nights too with shorter lines. Thanks for any additional info!!

Yes, you can bring your own food and drinks in - and it saves you tons of $! I would get there early (when it opens) and go right to Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh area. The new section should have some great rides as well (it's over in that area). The park does keep the most popular attractions up and running late when they have those holiday parties. Very fun! Have a great trip!!

As a Disney fanatic/veteran, I have to say that the most important thing is letting each member of the family choose one or two "must-do" rides or shows or character meets and make sure you get those in, no matter what. If you satisfy everyone with their favorites, the rest of the trip is just icing. It is impossible to do everything on one trip (or even two or three) so don't try!!!

Also, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion should not be must-do rides for a certain age unless you know your child very well! Both can be very intimidating and scary rides to certain ages/personalities. My 9 year old and I had to leave the Haunted Mansion because he started panicking in the stretching room - this is a child who is a roller coaster fanatic, so I didn't think the Haunted Mansion would bother him. He was embarrassed at leaving, but we just assured him that this was no big deal at all - there was plenty to see and do and we would not take him on anything that he thought was scary. I've seen so many blow ups and meltdowns with parents not wanting to get out of line when they're children want to - please, don't be those parents! There is too much to see and do without scaring your kids!

And I was pregnant on our last trip - best tip I ever got was the free ice water that vendors give out if you ask for it. Much better than paying for a bottle of water that will get hot in 10 minutes. I stopped at every vendor that had water and got a small cup to stay hydrated.

Thank you soooo much for devoting so much time and energy to making the blog. I'm finding it so helpful. Truly, this is a wealth of information that will help me plan my family's amazing first trip to Disney with our 5 year old twins! It is truly appreciated. I'm a planning nut myself, so this is right up my alley.

I love your tip about having breakfast at Animal Kingdom, but I have a question. If Animal Kingdom has "magic hours" the day I am planning to go, should I still do breakfast? I got an 8:20am reservation and I was so proud of myself until I realized the park opens that day at 8am :/ What should I do?

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